The effect of alcohol on the liver

The liver is very sensitive to toxic influence of alcohol. Precise clarity, how much should you drink to earn the disease of the liver caused by alcohol consumption, no. Depending on the body it happens in different ways, but it is clear that excessive alcohol consumption is harmful for liver.

Conducted in Italy the study showed that the risk of liver disease increases with consumption of approximately 3.8 units of alcohol per day, and the more a person drinks, the higher is the risk. In turn, research by Chinese scientists showed that 2.5 units of alcohol per day doubles the chance of liver disease, but with each additional dose the risk to the liver is not increased.

Effects of alcohol on the liver

Habits of consumption. If alcoholic beverages may be consumed only during meals, the risk of disease less.

Side effects. For Example, diabetes complicated treatment and diagnosis of disease.

Liver disease from alcohol

There are three diseases of the liver related to alcohol use. Alcoholic toxic hepatitis is an acute disease, and fatty liver (obesity) of liver and cirrhosis of the liver – chronic. Form of the disease determines how it develops – whether the disease within a few days, months or years.

Acute alcoholic hepatitis

The disease occurs after a long period (a month, sometimes a few months) of alcohol. Symptoms are malaise, depression, deterioration or loss of appetite, fever, jaundice, turbid consciousness. Alcoholic hepatitis is curable. If the person stops drinking alcohol and is treated, this condition is reversible in 75% of cases. However, the disease can cause cirrhosis of the liver.

Steatosis of the liver

The cause of the disease is regular and prolonged consumption of alcohol. Initially, the disease can occur without symptoms. In most cases, the increase and change of the liver is established by biochemical analysis of blood. Only in some cases, the situation could become critical. In this case, the important thing is to stop drinking alcohol. Then the condition improves. The disease is not treatable with medication! Known severe cases resulting in death.

Liver Cirrhosis

Most patients with cirrhosis do not observe the early symptoms of the disease. Later, you might see complaints of weight loss, fatigue, malaise, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain. Those who drink alcohol in large quantities can help early medical examination before the disease reaches a late stage. The main problem associated with liver cirrhosis, is that the connective tissue of the liver, multiplies, and normal liver cells die — this is gradually lose the ability of the liver to perform its functions.

In the later stages there may be symptoms complications:

high blood pressure liver (portal pressure). Is expressed in the form of bleeding from veins in the esophagus and ascites – accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity.

Encephalopathy. is Called liver failure, in which blood toxins are not removed.

May develop cancer formations or formations of hepatocellular carcinoma.

In order to test whether alcohol cause liver disease need to sign up on the diagnosis to the doctor at the clinic.